At at time when most prehistoric animal model ranges are being reduced it is always pleasing to see a manufacturer come up with a new addition to an Ice Age/Prehistoric animal model series. In 2012, Collecta are launching two Neanderthal models, a male and a female, (Collecta Neanderthal man and the Collecta Neanderthal woman), replicas that represent the closest species known to our own – Homo sapiens.

Our First Look at the Neanderthal Models

Say hello to our next of kin

Picture Credit: Everything Dinosaur/Collecta

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented that they were pleased to see ancient hominid species introduced into a major model range adding:

“The Neanderthal has always had a bad press, for example, the human remains from the Neanderthal valley, from which this type of human is named, was thought to be the skeleton of a Russian Cossack. The prominent brow ridge was explained away by Victorian scientists as being due to that particular individual frowning a lot. The Neanderthals were an extremely successful, adaptable species not the ape-like, thugs as often depicted in the popular media.”

Everything Dinosaur team members are hoping to get more pictures soon. The jewellery on the figures is noted. For many years palaeoanthropologists believed that Neanderthals did not make such items, whereas, our ancestors made intricate and delicate jewellery out of shells, bone and other items. Excavations from eastern Europe and the Middle East have shown that Neanderthals too were capable of making such objects and they had a very sophisticated culture.